Saturday, October 24, 2009

My Free Spirit girls wanted some pets, so I decided to apply hook and yarn to making them some puppy companions. So far there is a German Shepherd, Border Collie, Beagle, Labrador, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. They all have the same basic body and legs. The puppy heart and soul is in the face...ears, eyes, and muzzle.

Here are the patterns to share with all of you. These would also be fun gifts or stocking stuffers, for both boys and girls.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

My latest Steam Punk Free Spirit is Samarkand Artemis Lewis, younger sister of Istanbul Athena. She is dressed in a split skirt for bicycle riding, and standing next to her beloved bicycle. Her dream is to circumnavigate the globe by bike, and in the process hopefully find her Mother; lost in Africa these last 10 years.

Closeup of Samarkand's jewelry and facial embroidery. More pictures on my flickr site.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Meet Istanbul Athena Lewis, a steam punk Free Spirit :-) To make her, I modified her body slightly by giving her a bit of a bosom and more almond shaped eyes (see my flickr photostream for Free Spirit Steam Punk Variations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29184580@N04/sets/72157622509269234/ for some instructions on the modifications)

I used the side-to-side basic bodice for her corset dress bodice, and simply crocheted a full skirt to the bottom of the bodice, using a stitch pattern from "The Harmony Guides, 220 More Crochet Stitches." I was curious if hammered-on eyelets would work with crochet, for the lacing of her bodice, and they do!

I purchased inexpensive charms from Michaels for her punky jewely and the charms on her gauntlets. Her earrings and necklace are removable.

Closeup of the bodice; I also did a little bead crochet work here, which gives a neat effect, and you can also get a close look at her earrings and her right gauntlet.

If you are interested in finding inspiration for this fashion statement, try this flickr photosite:

Saturday, October 3, 2009

So, today I received my first Blythe! And like most little girls that get a new doll, I had to undress her :-) Of course, I couldn't resist a photo comparison of Blythe and the crochet doll that she inspired, Free spirit, so here they are.

This Free Spirit is a slight variation on the basic doll pattern. This doll is my Steam Punk variation, and for her I wanted a more adult figure. So I nipped in her waist by one stitch, and added a more developed bosom. She isn't of Barbie proportion, but her soon to be made corset dress should look very sexy on her :-)

I also modified the eyewhites to try to give a more almond shape, instead of the 'Blythe' look to her eyes. I have a new set on my flickr photostream for the Steam Punk variation, where I will put the directions for the new eye whites and modified body.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Well, I was curious how many different outfits I could make from one basic Edwardian dress pattern. As of today, my count stands at five (the latest is the cranberry red dress on the right, and on Emily below). Not to mention several pair of bloomers, three collars, and two nightgowns. These outfits have been a lot of fun to dream up, and to share with you.

Now I want to try something different with Free Spirit. For some reason I got the idea of Steam Punk in my head, so I'm going to give this a try. With Steam Punk, think over-the-top Victorians achieving our level of technology with...steam engines!

Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells would have all been comfortable in this reality :-)

About Me

Welcome! My name is Beth and I live in the Midwest of the United States. I was 12 years old when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. I would have been an astronaut, but my fear of heights has kept me grounded :-) Instead, I became a Mechanical Engineer and worked in industry for many years. Now I design and make soft dolls; a passion I've enjoyed since my Grandmother first taught me to crochet.